College Football Playoff Rankings Heading Towards Chaos

In college football, teams play well in November to be remembered. There are several variations of this familiar quote associated with the sport, but the point is November is the most critical month in deciding each team’s fate. As the calendar turned, Saturday’s games did not disappoint with nine teams ranked in the College Football Playoff losing.

Some of this was bound to happen as ranked teams played against each other, but Week 10 brought us several surprises that are sure to shake up the rankings. Both Penn State and Ohio State were upset meaning Big Ten officials could be hitting the campaign trail for Wisconsin as the Badgers might be the conference’s lone hope in having a team in the playoff.

While the top four teams were victorious, Saturday’s chaos only needs one or two future losses by the top teams to fully engulf the entire College Football Playoff. If either Clemson or Notre Dame lose, two-loss teams could enter the conversation to be one of the top four teams by season’s end.

Despite being undefeated, Miami was ranked 10th in the initial rankings as the Hurricanes lacked a major win. After a convincing victory over Virginia Tech, fans can expect Miami to be one of the biggest risers when the new rankings are unveiled on Tuesday. In a game that did not offer much in the way of defense, Oklahoma outlasted rival Oklahoma State, and the Sooners are in a prime position to capitalize if any of the top teams lose in the coming weeks.

Here’s a look at my predictions for the second installment of the College Football Playoff rankings.

Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame & Clemson Remain in the Top 4

GettyGeorgia is likely to remain the top team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

For all of the upsets, the top of the standings should remain the same as the top four teams all won. The only thing that can be debated is whether Alabama could overtake Georgia after their win over LSU. If we are just looking at resumes, Georgia still has a stronger case thanks to their road win over Notre Dame. The Bulldogs also had a solid win over South Carolina this past week, that should prevent them from dropping down.

Clemson survived a tight game against NC State, as the Tigers pulled away in the final minutes. Notre Dame made short work of Wake Forest, but the bigger story was Brandon Wimbush and Josh Adams both leaving the game with injuries. The good news for Irish fans is both players are expected to play going forward.

Next week’s games feature several matchups that put the top teams at risk of slipping. Georgia goes on the road to take on an Auburn team that could be ranked in the top 10 in the latest rankings. Notre Dame also goes on the road to face a Miami team coming off a big win over Virginia Tech. Alabama will be on the road as they square off with Mississippi State. Clemson hosts Florida State in a game that looked much more intimidating for the Tigers at the start of the season.